A tangle of ropes including a noose was found on Saturday in a tree near the boundary of campus property and city property near the shoreline of Lake Ontario, said Julie Harrison Bissert, a spokeswoman for the university.

University president Deborah Stanley notified students, faculty and employees of the incident in an email sent out Monday afternoon. She said it is uncertain whether the noose was on campus, but campus police are continuing their investigation.

"We must not be indifferent to acts of hatred or ignorance whether they occur as racist graffiti or nooses, anti-Semitic language, or homophobic words," Stanley said in the e-mail. " we must express our concern and outrage when any member of our community needs our support.

Stanley urged students, employees and faculty to report any incidents.

"I remind all members of our campus that it is the duty of faculty, staff and students to report behaviors intended to disrupt the lives of any members of our community," she said.